Kılıçdaroğlu skips reception to avoid meeting Atalay, Uslu

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Tuesday did not attend an official reception hosted by the Turkish Embassy in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) to avoid meeting with two government figures with whom his party is at odds.

The CHP leader, who was in northern Cyprus on Tuesday to attend Republic Day ceremonies, did not attend the Turkish Embassy's reception because Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay and Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Salim Uslu were present.

Last month, Kılıçdaroğlu accused Atalay of being a mole in the Deniz Feneri charity probe case. He alleged that Atalay had warned members of the German-based Turkish charity Deniz Feneri and its affiliated television channel Kanal 7 prior to a police operation to arrest members who were implicated in charity fraud.

The AK Party's Uslu, an administrative official in Parliament, drew a reaction from the CHP when he pushed CHP deputy Kamer Genç from Parliament's lectern last Thursday, and said Genç was occupying the lectern to make a show.

Meanwhile, the CHP group presidency released a statement on Tuesday to condemn Uslu's treatment of Genç in Parliament. The statement said it is unacceptable for someone like Uslu to remove a deputy from Parliament's lectern by using force, and, therefore, that he should not be allowed to continue performing his duties in Parliament.